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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27187610">Breath</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllogicalHuman/pseuds/IllogicalHuman'>IllogicalHuman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Miracles and Menageries [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Family Fluff, Female Dori, Female Nori (Tolkien), Fluff, Injured Bofur, Ri Family Feels, Romantic Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:52:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,169</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27187610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllogicalHuman/pseuds/IllogicalHuman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nori finally awakens and has a long overdue talk with her older sister.<br/>Nori and Bofur are also able to get their feeling out in the open.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bofur/Nori (Tolkien)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Miracles and Menageries [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Breath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Have fluff?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her everything hurt. Nori had never felt so tired in her life. Every muscle ached and every breath was a chore to draw in, her lungs burning with every inhale. She felt delirious and light headed, as if she had slept for days but not gotten any rest. But she was awake.</p><p>Nori had woken to a dim candle lit tent. It had taken several moments for her foggy mind to focus enough to even realise where she was. She remembered speaking to Ori after the battle. She remembered Oin seeing to the wound on her side and then nothing. Just pain and fever dreams until this moment.</p><p>Her hand was being held. She could feel the warmth of the connection and how it made everything seem as if it would be alright. Her fingers curled against the palm surrounding her own. She could hear the soft snore beside her and knew it sounded familiar. When her thoughts finally caught up with what her eyes saw she recognized Bofur.</p><p>Her lodestone was here, right beside her. She had dreamed of waking beside him more times than she felt comfortable. Her best friend and greatest ally lay in a bed shoved flush with her own, his hand reaching across the divide and clutching hers tightly. As if his grip was the only thing keeping her here.</p><p>She must have made a noise because he began to stir, his brows creasing and moustache twitching right before his soft brown eyes opened. Nori could have wept at the look in his eyes. When he realized that she was looking at him with eyes clear of fever his other hand reached across the bed and cradled her face. Fingers working into the loose hair of her beard.</p><p>“Nori? Are you back with me lass?” Bofur looked both hopeful and fearful. “You’ve been out for nearly a week now.”</p><p>Nori could only grip his hand tighter as she held eye contact. She was so happy to see him. Her dreams had been strange as the fever held control. Memories thrown into strange relief. Colors and shapes she could almost identify. She had dreamed that he had come for her after they had drank the white liquor, revealing her as a dam. She had dreamed that she had been hurt worse than reality on the job in the far East. She dreamed of continuous running, trying to always make it home but being blocked at every turn. NIghtmares that kept her tossing in her sleep.</p><p>She was relieved to find her Bofur here. He was exactly where she needed him to be. Gripping her hand and looking at her as if she had spun the whole word from silk and gold just for the two of them.</p><p>Her throat hurt too much to reply to any of his questions so she simply clung to him, trying her best to maintain eye contact until she felt a healing sleep creeping at the edges of consciousness. She remembered feeling his hand squeezing hers once more before sleep claimed her.</p><p>………</p><p>She woke again slowly. She coughed a couple times as her mind woke again, finally free of the poppy dreams. Dori was seated in the chair by her bed, knitting draped across her lap as her eyes bore into her own. Her back flush against a solid and warm presence.</p><p>“Nori?” Dori’s voice was soft as she studied her sister, eyes coming into focus as sleep faded away.</p><p>“Dori.” Her voice was hoarse and dry.</p><p>Dori reached for a glass on the bedside table before helping Nori take a few small sips.</p><p>“Do I need to hide again?”</p><p>Dori laughed a bit as she set the mug back down. “You would ask that first.” She shook her head before focusing back on the oldest of her little sisters. “No you silly thing you don’t need to run off anywhere this time. You’ve been out a week. Bofur said you woke for a while last night before sleeping again. Thorin and the princess are healing as well as can be expected. Everyone else has been alright.”</p><p>Nori nodded. “I remember waking for a while after the battle. Then nothing but nightmares.”</p><p>“You had other issues. An infection set into your lungs, Oin has been keeping you under until the fever broke last night.” Dori reached over to gently brush a lock of hair that escaped from the braid back from Nori’s face. “I’ve been so worried Nori”</p><p>“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a bother.”</p><p>“You never do.” Dori gave Nori one of her gentle smiles. She had not had one of those aimed at her in many years. At least not after she has started stealing to make ends meet. “I wasn’t the only one worried you know.” Dori looked meaningfully at Bofur curled around her back, one arm thrown across her middle to keep her close.</p><p>“How is everyone, really?”</p><p>“After you and the royals Bofur was the worst off with that broken leg. He’s confined until it heals enough to support some weight. If it ever will. Oin is worried it won't heal right. That hammer caught him just above the knee and shattered the bone, Oin has to give him some strong stuff to dull the pain. He had Ori push the beds together, said he didn’t want you to be alone.”</p><p>“They all know.” Nori looked at Dori in confusion.</p><p>“About us I mean. Everyone found out after the battle. Everyone knows we are dams. It’s funny how little everyone seemed to care. They were just relieved we were okay.” Dori watched as her sister thought about everything before speaking again. “Bofur spoke to me.” Nori looked at her in confusion. “About you, he asked if he could court you. Properly. I couldn’t say no.”</p><p>Nori tightened her grip on the arm around her middle. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean he asked to court you, and I think he means to ask you as soon as you are both awake and well enough.” Dori looked down at her sister and the dwarf that professed to love her wrapped around her. “He has refused to leave your side. Even if it's totally improper.” Dori snorted a small laugh as she remembered something. “Not that it really matters. Seeing as the two of you have already been together.”</p><p>“Dori!” Nori coughed again as her lungs began to protest. She wished she felt well enough to fuss at Dori, she knew the anxiety that lapse in judgement had caused. Dori knew how Nori had hidden for days, waiting for everything to be ruined.</p><p>“He was only relieved that you were alive. I wish you could have seen his face when you turned back up after the battle. I don’t think you being a dam ever mattered. He looked at you as if you had hung the moon and stars.”</p><p>“Don’t exaggerate Dori.”</p><p>“I would never! He’s obviously in love with you. You can see it plain as day in the way he is around you or the way he speaks about you.”</p><p>Nori looked down as she listened. Could it be true? Could he really feel the same? “I dare not hope for his love Dori. Not after years of hiding what I am. Who could love a liar?”</p><p>“Oh Nori. Love never has a good reason for being, it just is. How do you think we came to be? Our mother's love was too big for just one dwarrow. She loved two. I didn’t understand at first, after my own adad died and she met your father. But then you came along and I didn’t know that being your sister was what I wanted most. Then Ori followed and my love only grew. The two of you are my whole world Nori. And I don’t think Bofur holds this secret against you.”</p><p>“I’ve not been a very good sister to you Dori. I know my life has always bothered you, and part of me did it out of spite. I...I felt like I couldn’t be good enough. I couldn’t stop myself so I learned how to do it properly.”</p><p>“Oh Nori, I’ve not been a very good sister either. I was upset with you of course. I wanted so bad for you to do things the honest way. You stitch such beautiful things, I wish we could have found enough work for you.”</p><p>“Maybe I could try again.”</p><p>“Maybe. If it’s what you want. I think you might be too busy being courted.” Dori grinned as Nori rolled her eyes.</p><p>“I’m serious Dori. I’m going to need something to do now that doesnt involve stealing! I can’t risk everything you and Ori have gained just because I can’t keep my fingers still. As much as I love seeing new places I’m tired of always being away from the two of you. I’ve missed so much of Ori growing up because I was always having to run off somewhere and wait out the law.” Nori felt tears gathering, everything beginning to come out after the long years.</p><p>As Dori went to reply her mouth snapped shut as she looked over Nori’s shoulder at Bofur beginning to wake. She had to get one more thing out before she decided to leave them alone. “You did everything you could to help keep our family going. I know what you did for us. I also know that what I brought in would have never been enough for the three of us. While I didn’t approve of your methods, I am proud of you Nori. I always have been.” With a final squeeze to Nori’s hand and a nod Dori took her knitting and left.</p><p>……….</p><p>Bofur could hear Nori’s voice. She was upset about something from the tone she was using. He could also hear Dori. He began to fight the drowsy feeling that kept taking him every time he tried to wake up. Maybe he should tell Oin to back off with the tea.</p><p>When Bofur was finally able to open his eyes it was to see Dori closing the door. He waited for either her to come back or someone else to come sit at the bedside. The chairs by the bed were almost always occupied. After several long moments, no one opened the door and Bofur shifted his attention to the warm presence still in his arms.</p><p>Bofur grew concerned when he heard sniffing. “Nori?”</p><p>Nori jumped at his voice. “Bofur! How long have you been awake?”</p><p>“Not long. Woke up to see Dori walking out. Everything alright with the two of ya? Didn’t fight did ya?”</p><p>“No, we didn’t fight.”</p><p>“Then what’s got ya cryin lass?”</p><p>“It’s nothing really, just tired.”</p><p>Bofur hummed in thought. “Don’t seem like nothin.”</p><p>Nori winced as she rolled to face Bofur, scrunching her face as she felt the wound in her side pull. “Why are you here?”</p><p>“Hurt. The same as you. Oin tries to be optimistic but I can see it in his face that my leg ain’t doing too good.”</p><p>“No Bofur, I mean why are you here. Why did you have Ori push the beds together? You could be in your own room by now with your family. Not here with me in the healing halls.”</p><p>“Ah. Well...I. You started choking.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You started choking. After the fever took you out again. No one was here to help and I panicked. I managed to get to you and help but after, the thought of leaving you made me feel squiggly inside.” Nori looked at Bofur in surprise.</p><p>“I didn’t want you to be somewhere I couldn’t reach. I don’t like going without seeing you, being able to lay eyes on you and know you are okay. I always worried for you, you know. Everytime you would get chased out I worried until you would come back and settle into your normal chair by my side and start spinning all the tales of your latest exploits. I decided I didn’t want you to be away from me again, even if it was just across the room.”</p><p>“Bofur...I...do you really mean that?”</p><p>“Of course I do!”</p><p>Nori gave a watery laugh before reaching up and wrapping his moustache around her fingers. “I like you too, even if you are a silly miner. I might even love you.” Nori smiled when one of Bofur's silly grins stretched across his face.</p><p>Bofur leaned forward until he could gently bump his forehead against Nori’s, the both of them holding onto one another and breathing each other in, letting the silence stretch between them. There would be plenty of time later for more talking. For now they simply rested together. </p><p>Later, when Dori came back trailing behind Bifur she couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. They had fallen asleep facing one another, hands still threaded through each other's hair as they held each other close.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really hope you are all enjoying this ride. Not really sure where it came from.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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